


Green Acres

by anemic_cinema



Series: World's End Boyfriend [13]
Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Awkward Conversations, Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Grief, Jealousy, Kissing, M/M, Tenderness, Violence, discussion about sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-20
Updated: 2014-02-20
Packaged: 2018-01-13 03:57:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1211842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anemic_cinema/pseuds/anemic_cinema
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: No queers after the zombie apocalypse? I don't think so.</p><p>Daryl arrives on the farm, and has to deal with some feelings he's not quite used to. Andrea gives Carol the only comfort she can. </p><p>CW: violence against walkers</p>
            </blockquote>





	Green Acres

Daryl couldn't help but feel apprehensive as he'd ridden his motorcycle down the dirt road that led to the farm. The farm that apparently they could stay at because one of the people there had shot Carl. As far as invitations went, that one was a real doozy. Daryl wasn't keen on it, but then again, he'd never been one to believe in the kindness of strangers. 

He also wasn't keen on the owner of the place, Herschel, telling them that they couldn't have their guns close to the house. That was just ridiculous. Dead people were walking around for fuck's sake, it wasn't like they could negotiate with creatures that only wanted to eat human flesh. T-Dog had made a joke about using harsh language instead. Glenn had laughed at that, Daryl wasn't sure why. It wasn't that funny. The two of them had gone ahead of the rest, much to Daryl's dismay. He hadn't expected himself to get so attached to Glenn so quick, to the point where even a temporary separation made him feel uneasy.

Seeing Glenn on the porch from afar made him feel better though. Even though he was standing next to and talking to a young woman with short brown hair. He soon got up to speed. Carl was stable, as was T-Dog, Shane had gotten the medical equipment they'd needed, but the man who went with him had died in the process. Daryl thought the story sounded a little off. When he looked at Shane it was like something had changed besides his hair being gone.

The farm was nice, acres upon acres of fields. It was a soothing, calm kind of place that could've felt like home under different circumstances. Daryl liked the landscape, but he wasn't too sure about the people. There was no chance to take Glenn aside to talk to him beyond hello. Rick was talking his ear off about how they were going to go about searching the woods. As much as he knew they had to have a plan, all Daryl could think about was Glenn and the girl talking. They looked pretty friendly. And that was good, Glenn was the kind of guy who thrived with friends. Daryl envied that.

Then the fool kid had to volunteer himself to go down a damn well so they could pull the walker that had fallen into it out. Daryl could have strangled him. After they'd pulled up the water bloated walker and killed it, the older man finally got a chance to pull Glenn away from the others. 

“What the hell did you think you were doin'? You coulda gotten yerself bit!”

“Daryl, calm down. It was fine.” Glenn was smiling, looking as if he'd pulled off some marvelous stunt instead of risking his life for people they didn't even know. 

“You can't be doin' shit like that.” Daryl's fury was only mounting at Glenn's carelessness.

“Why not? I was just doing what anyone else would've done. I'm not some helpless, useless idiot Daryl. I can pull my own weight.” The younger man's tone was too bitter for Daryl's taste.

“I ain't sayin' that.” 

“Then what are you saying?” Glenn was looking at him so coldly that it hurt. 

Daryl just threw up his arms. “Look, just...be careful.” His mind was still all jumbled up from the panic of seeing Glenn down the well so close to a walker, so close to being grabbed and bit.

“I am. Listen, I'm going to be riding into town later with Maggie. Do you need anything?” He still sounded aloof and upset by Daryl's sudden outburst, which just infuriated the older man more. Sophia being lost was bad enough. Why couldn't Glenn see that he had to stay safe? If anything were to happen to him, nothing would be good anymore.

“Nah. I'm gonna go speak with Rick about finding Sophia. Make sure you take yer damn blade.” He stalked off, feeling angry and confused by the intensity of his anger.

*******

Rick was planning too slowly in Daryl's opinion. He was talking about grids and search teams, and Daryl couldn't give a damn about that. He was too ramped up from talking to Glenn. If the kid wanted to take risks, that was his right. But just the thought of him being gone was too much to bear. In the end, all of that didn't matter, because the primary concern right now was finding Sophia. If Daryl had his way, he'd been in the woods 24/7 looking for her. That's why as soon as he could he'd gotten away from Rick and the others to look. Rick kept saying they had to be organized, and he was probably right. But sitting still was making him nervous. He kept telling himself that she had to be alive. She was smart. She was fast. He could not allow himself to think of her as a lost cause. He was Mr. Daryl, and he was awesome, dammit. 

Even though his mind was focused on looking around the woods, searching for any trace of the little girl, there was a nagging, anxious feeling in the back of his mind. He regretted how he'd acted towards Glenn. Not to mention, he couldn't shake that anxious feeling he got when he thought of him going off with that girl. Maggie, that was her name. She was pretty. She was around Glenn's age. She looked like a nice person. Nicer than him.

Those thoughts stopped Daryl's pace, and made his chest feel tight. He had never been someone prone to jealousy, but he'd never been with anyone long enough to feel those kinds of feelings. It was ridiculous, this anxiety over another person that he didn't even know. Hell for all he knew, she could be a lesbian, like Andrea. That would be a hell of a funny coincidence. 

Daryl forced himself to keep going, and to forget about those thoughts. Glenn wasn't an object he could keep locked up. He was a person, who had the right to make friends with whomever he wanted, and who had the right to choose who he wanted to be with. The older man certainly wouldn't blame him if he decided he wasn't interested in him. It was bound to happen, eventually. Hell, after how he'd gotten angry at him earlier, it wouldn't surprise him if Glenn decided today that he wasn't worth the trouble. 

The circular, uneasy thoughts in his brain were only interrupted by the snapping of branches. His head perked up, eyes darting to try and see what the hell was going on. He heard no groans, or the tell-tale shuffling footsteps of a walker. It sounded more delicate. He raised his crossbow, looking through the trees. It was a deer, a female deer from the looks of it. He lowered his weapon. One of the first things he'd learned when he'd gotten old enough to hunt was to never kill does. Not because it was against the law, but because, as Merle had explained to him, if you kill a female deer you don't get more deer. Merle knew his stuff when it came to hunting. 

The doe looked his way, and bounded off. 'Hope Sophia was as quick as you.' Daryl thought. 

*******

'Lori's gonna have to do this herself next time.' Glenn thought as he rifled through the racks in the pharmacy for a pregnancy test, nudging objects on the ground out of his way with his machete. The place looked pretty disastrous. Most of the shelves were empty, and Maggie was in the back gathering the medicine her father had told her to get. Finally, he found the item Lori had requested. 

He really wished she hadn't asked him to get the damn thing, because now all he could think about was the daytime talkshow-level drama that could be brewing if she was pregnant. That would be a hell of a showdown, Lori, Rick and Shane trying to figure out who the father was. Maybe that was why Shane had shaved his head. Or maybe he was just losing it. 

'That's just what we need. A dude who could easily fuck us all up going nuts.' Glenn sighed. Shit was just getting worse and worse. Except for Daryl. Well, when he wasn't acting weird. He still couldn't believe how the older man had reacted to him trying to help out with the walker in the well. 

There were still bottles of lube and condoms on the rack along with the pregnancy tests. He bit his bottom lip, wondering if he should be so forward as to bring some back for Daryl and him. Considering all the stress he was under and their argument earlier the other man might not be up for it. But then again, he might want to relieve said stress with a little make up sex, and Glenn was more than happy to offer himself in that capacity. Not to mention, Daryl had made it clear that he was unexperienced when it came to having sex with another man, and just the idea of being his first was thrilling. Sure, things like virginity were just social constructs, but it still excited Glenn all the same.

He grabbed some of the lube and shoved it in his bag, and was about to do the same with the box of condoms when Maggie interrupted him. 

“You're awfully bold.” 

Glenn looked up at her, dreading having to explain himself. “It's, uh...”

Maggie smiled at him, and his stomach dropped. She was a beautiful woman, but if she was thinking was he thought she was thinking, she was thinking the wrong thing. 

Glenn swallowed down his embarrassment and stood up, shoving the condoms into his bag. “It's for me and Daryl.”

Maggie's expression fell. “Oh.”

Guilt replaced embarrassment. “Yeah, uh, me and him.” 

“You and him. That's...good for you.” Maggie gave a forced smile. “Wow, that expression's accurate. All the good ones are either gay or taken. You're both.”

Glenn chuckled uneasily. “I guess so. Sorry.”

“What? No, no, I'm sorry. I didn't meant to pry.” Maggie shouldered her bag. “We should get going.”

“Yeah, good idea.” 

They walked out of the pharmacy and were met with an unwelcome sight. The horses had managed to get loose, and were currently running down the street back towards the farm. 

“What the hell?” As soon as he spoke those words, he heard what had spooked the horses. Coming up toward them were walkers. Three of them. And they'd seen them. Maggie let out a strangled  
scream, and grabbed at Glenn's arm. 

“We've gotta run!”

But the odds were against them in that department, what with the bags full of things they had to get back to the farm. Steeling his nerves, Glenn dropped his bag, and raised his machete. Daryl had been right to tell him to take it with him. If he got out of this alive, he was going to kiss that man so hard. 

To Maggie's credit, she was just as prepared. She reached into her bag and drew out a steel crowbar. Glenn looked over at her with surprise. 

“You've been carrying that thing all morning?”

“Protection.” Her face was grim. “My dad says it's not necessary, but he isn't always right.”

Glenn couldn't quite understand what she meant by that, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Like the walker that was currently only a few feet away from them and advancing fast, snarling through broken teeth. Maggie gripped the crowbar with both hands, raised her arms, and brought it down, missing the creature's head, but knocking it down from the impact on its shoulder. A second blow, better aimed, ended its existence. 

Glenn would have given her congratulations, if he hadn't been busy sinking his machete into the  
side of the second walker's head. A one point, it had been a dark-haired woman, wearing a floral nightgown. The third was the slowest, one of it's legs busted and useless, dragging along behind itself. Luck was on their side, as it tripped against the sidewalk and landed face first on the concrete. Maggie drove the straight end of the crowbar into it's skull. As she raised it, she let out a whimper. 

“Goddamn it.” The gore-covered crowbar slipped from her hands as she slumped to the ground. “Goddamn it.” 

“Are you ok?” Glenn looked at the downed walker's nightgown, considering if he should wipe his blade on it. 

Maggie's ran her hands over her face, brushing the sweat off and trying to collect herself. “Yeah. Just...it doesn't get easier.” She looked up at Glenn. “We need to get moving.” She retrieved her weapon, and her bag. “If we hurry we can get back before nightfall.”

Weapons still at the ready, they began journeying back to the farm. For the first few miles, they walked fast, and in silence. 

“Please don't tell my dad about this.” Maggie puffed out. They were practically going at a jog, the confrontation having given them both a burst of energy. 

“Ok. You were pretty great back there. Herschel's got nothing to worry about, you can handle yourself.”

“Right. But please, don't let him know.”

Why she would be so insistent on keeping this from her father, Glenn had no clue. As they made their way back, he settled on the probability that Herschel might not let Maggie do supply runs if he thought she was in danger. It was the only logical explanation. 

Maggie stopped, looking out towards an expansive field by the road. “Holy shit, looks like it's our lucky day.” She pointed, showing what she meant. The horses they'd ridden into town were currently munching on grass, not far away.

“Thank god,” Glenn exhaled. At least now they could get back quicker. 

*******

By the time Daryl returned to camp, he couldn't see Glenn anywhere. His stomach knotted up. After another fruitless search, all he wanted was to come back to the farm and see the one person who could make him happy right now. The sunlight was golden now, signaling it's descent on the horizon. It shouldn't have taken them this long just to get back. 

Despite his exhaustion, Daryl's feet moved faster. When he got to the RV, he called out to Dale. 

“Are Glenn and Maggie back yet?”

Dale shook his head. “No, Rick's thinking of going out to look for them. Wait!” Daryl was about to go find Rick and demand to go with him, but the old man's tone stopped him. “I need to talk to you.” Dale climbed down.

“What about?” Daryl did not want to get roped into a conversation when Glenn needed to be found. 

“I wanted to talk to you about you and Glenn.”

Daryl's jaws clenched. 

“It's none of my business-”

“Yer right on that one.” Daryl began biting at the inside of his cheek, trying to prevent himself from telling Dale to fuck off. Who the hell did he think he was? Whatever it was that was growing between him and Glenn was their business, and no one else's. 

“Glenn is my friend, and I care about him.” Dale leaned in closer, keeping his voice low so that no one besides Daryl would hear him. “I've seen the way you've treated him in the past.”

“That was the past. It's different now.” 

“Is it?” Dale looked the other man right in the eyes, trying to decide if he was being sincere or not. Daryl did not avert his gaze, and stared right back at Dale. 

“Yeah. It is. If you pay attention, you'll see for yerself.” Daryl spoke those words with finality, allowing for no continuing of the conversation. He was about to storm off, when a shout sounded out. 

“They're back!”

Maggie and Glenn came riding towards the stables, looking exhausted. Daryl's heart pounded. The only time he could remember being so happy to see anyone was the first time Merle had gotten out of juvy. He'd tagged along with their father to pick him up, and when he saw him sitting by the front of the featureless building where he'd been locked up, Daryl had just about jumped out of his skin with excitement. 

He rushed over, any sense of fear of what the others might think of his display far from his mind. When he got to the stables Maggie was leading the horses into their stalls, and Glenn was washing his face and his blade at the tap on the side of the building. 

“What happened?” Daryl stopped himself from throwing his arms around Glenn and hauling him into a bear hug. 

“Nothing, the horses got loose, and we had to find them.” He said it a little louder than necessary, looking over Daryl's shoulder. The older man turned and saw Herschel going past them to talk to Maggie, and presumably get the medicine she'd been sent to retrieve. Glenn motioned to Daryl to follow him away from the stables. The younger man led him to behind one of the grand old trees that grew all over the farm, shoved him up against it without a word, and kissed him. 

This wasn't one of the tender, soft, enticing kisses Daryl now expected from Glenn. This kiss was hungry, the younger man's front teeth clacking against his before biting down on his bottom lip, his full lips crushing against Daryl's thin ones. Glenn's nose kept pressing against his own and his cheeks, and his hands were gripping onto Daryl's head, holding the older man close to him. The bill of his baseball cap was poking against the older man's forehead, so he reached up and took it off, taking the opportunity to comb his fingers through Glenn's thick black hair. It was damp with sweat, and he smelled strongly of exertion, but the older man loved it. He smelled real and alive. 

When they broke away, Daryl felt dazed. He'd never been kissed with that intensity, and had no idea how to react to it. Glenn was resting his chin on the older man's shoulder, holding onto him tightly. 

“Sorry, it's been a long, shitty day.”

“What happened?” Daryl relaxed into the moment, all of his previous worries about Glenn losing interest in him dissipating. 

“Ran into walkers.” Daryl started and pushed Glenn back to look at him, searching for signs of injury. “Relax, me and Maggie handled it. You should've seen me. I gave those geeks the business. Well one of them anyway.” A grin spread across his face.

'The balls on this kid, Jesus.' This time, Daryl didn't get angry. He was too happy to see him, and it looked like Glenn wasn't mad at him anymore about their argument earlier. Daryl's fingers gently stroked the spot where Glenn's jawline met his ear.“Was that what that was about?” 

“Yeah, and also as a thank you.”

“Whaddya mean?”

“You told me to take my machete. If I hadn't-well, that doesn't matter. Even when you're not with me, it's like you're looking out for me.” Glenn grasped Daryl's hand and leaned his face against it. “Is that too cheesy?”

Daryl had no words for that, so instead he brought Glenn's face close to his, and kissed him, his lips pressing gently against the younger man's lips. He felt so clumsy compared to Glenn. The kid kissed like an expert, and Daryl figured he kissed like a dead fish. But he was trying. 

“Do you want to sleep in my tent tonight?” Glenn whispered softly, not bothering to pull his lips away from Daryl's. “Unless you're still pissed off about earlier.”

“No, I mean yeah. I ain't mad about earlier. Are you?” What Glenn was proposing was bold, and would make it clear to the others that yes, they were together, but their opinions didn't matter right now. If any of them had a problem with it, he'd deal with them. 

Glenn smiled and kissed him again, this time softly, like how he usually did. “Nope.”

*******

Daryl helped Glenn set up his tent, as the younger man still didn't quite have the hang of it. They installed it next to one of the big trees while Andrea looked over them with a bemused expression. The more she saw how they acted around each other, the more she approved. Daryl was proving to be not the asshole she once though he was, and Glenn looked happy. That was enough for her.

Dale was letting Carol sleep in the RV so she could be more comfortable. Andrea had promised to stay with her again. It was becoming so that the other woman could only sleep when Andrea was holding her. She didn't mind. It felt good to give affection like that, and know that it was helping in some small way. 

Carol was sitting up at the table, grasping a cup of something steaming hot. When she heard the footsteps coming up the RV steps she looked up and gave Andrea a small, broken smile. 

“Dale had some teabags in the back of one of the cupboards. I can't attest to how fresh they are, but I can make you a cup if you'd like.”

“Oh you don't have to, I can make it myself.”

“Andrea,” Carol stood and went over to the tiny range where there was a kettle. “If I don't do things I'm literally going to lose my mind.” She laughed, but the laugh was too loud. The cup she got out of the cupboard had the words “Welcome To Weeki-Wachee Springs” on it, along with the illustration of a mermaid. A memory of a better time for Dale. For Andrea as well.

Amy and her had visited that place when they were children, and Amy had gone bananas over the mermaid show they put on there. Andrea smiled at the memory of her little sister banging on the glass of the mermaid pool, unable to control herself because seeing the beautiful women swimming around pretending to be mermaids had enchanted her. When they'd left, Amy had cried hysterically because she wanted to “stay with the pretty mermaids.” That was how Andrea wanted to remember her. She would not allow herself to remember her in those final moments at the quarry. 

Carol placed the mug down with a clatter. Her hands were shaky.

Andrea watched her going through motions of normality, and it hurt. Softly, she placed her hand on Carol's shoulder. 

“Thank you.”

The older woman looked at her, her eyes still red despite not having cried in hours. “It's no problem. I'm used to doing things for other people.”

The blonde smiled at her, fighting back the urge to kiss her cheek. She was a sweet woman, and so much stronger than anyone gave her credit for. As Carol placed the tea bag in the cup, Andrea pulled her into her arms and hugged her from behind, resting her face against her shoulder. She would give this woman all the tenderness in the world if it killed her. She deserved that much.

Carol kept her eyes on the kettle, waiting for it to start whistling, and wondering why Andrea's touch was the only thing that was keeping her from falling apart.

*******

The cot was just big enough for two people to lay on, as long as they laid close to each other. That was fine by Glenn and Daryl, even though it took them a while to figure out what kind of position they should lay in. They settled on Daryl spooning Glenn, which allowed the older man to bury his nose in Glenn's hair and smell him. 

“I hope I don't smell too bad. I tried to wash up a little.”

“Nah, y'smell nice.” Laying so close to the younger man, feeling the warmth of his body against his made him feel good. Daryl figured, maybe if he was lucky and they were still together when the weather got cooler, sleeping together would be extra beneficial. There'd be no chance of Glenn being cold as long as he could be near him.

Glenn reached back and stroked Daryl's hip. “I've been using that shampoo you gave me.”

Daryl peered over Glenn's shoulder, trying to get a look at his face. “How the hell didya know that was me that gave you that?”

“Oh come on, who else made me spill my shampoo back at the quarry?”

The older man laid his head back against the pillow, one hand stroking Glenn's hair. “I've been a real asshole to you, haven't I?”

“Yeah.” Glenn carefully turned, still not sure how much weight the cot could potentially support. “You have.” The younger man ran his fingers across the other man's goatee. Daryl grabbed them and kissed them.

“I gotta long way to go to make that shit up to you.”

“Yeah, well, most people do. You're actually trying, which is more than a lot of people I've been with in the past have done. I dated this one guy, oh my god he was a real piece of work. This motherfucker used to call me weird racist shit when we would have sex, I mean, real gross stuff.” Glenn shuddered at the memory. What had been worse was that he'd kept seeing the guy for a while after that, too afraid that no one else would want him to protest at how he was being treated. 

Daryl squeezed Glenn's hand. “I promise I won't ever do that to you.” 

“You better not, or Andrea'll kick your ass.” Glenn poked the center of his chest.

“Shit, she'd do it too. I don't think she likes me much...Dale don't.”

Glenn sighed. “Well, they need to see you being a changed person. Talk is cheap, etc, etc.”

“Ain't that the truth.” 

There was a comfortable silence between them, and they listened to the cicada song, still loud despite the summer wearing on and getting close to its end.

“Hey, uh, Daryl?” Glenn cleared his throat, trying to figure out the smoothest way to tell the older man about what he'd scored earlier.

“Yeah?”

“I, well, at the pharmacy today, I found some stuff for you and me.” He nuzzled Daryl's shoulder. “I got some condoms. It's a twelve pack.”

The older man wasn't quite sure what to say to that.

“We don't have to rush into that or nothing, I just figured, better safe than sorry you know?”

“I suppose, yeah.” Images of having sex with Glenn rose in his mind. The idea of being inside of Glenn, of making him feel good, or of Glenn inside of him, left him excited but apprehensive. He'd never done anything like that before, but he'd fantasized about it plenty. 

As soon as he figured out how two men could have sex, he'd wanted to do it so badly, despite being ashamed of wanting it. He'd drive two towns over from where he lived to buy gay porno mags, furtively jerk off to them in lonely parking lots, most of the time waiting for the cover of darkness, and immediately discard them by tossing them out the window of the truck that used to belong to his father. Plausible deniability was the game back then. He'd convinced himself that as long as he didn't have those damn magazines in his possession for longer than it took for him to cum, it didn't mean anything. Even though he got off on it, he thought the stuff in those magazines seemed kinda posed, not like how you'd actually fuck. The men only sometimes looked like they were really into it. Daryl knew for certain that if he went all the way with Glenn, he'd be into it, no matter what. But that awful, sticky residue of shame and his lack of experience made him uneasy. 

“Like I said, we can take our time. I just think-I really would like to do that with you.” 

Daryl kissed Glenn's forehead, his skin so smooth under his lips, feeling flattered and happy that the younger man would want him like that, but no less anxious at the proposition. “Well, it certainly would be a first for me.”

“I can't say the same for myself unfortunately.” Glenn laid his hand against Daryl's chest, feeling his heart beat faintly through his ribcage.

“That just means you can teach me. Hell, you been doin' that already.” 

“Does that mean you're hot for teacher?” 

Daryl scoffed. “I means go to sleep little man. Jesus, you better not keep me up with yer bad jokes.”

“Trust me, I have plenty better ways to keep you up.” 

“I'm sure you do.” Daryl shifted, making Glenn turn around again so he could spoon him again. “Go to sleep. I gotta be up early.”

Glenn laid on his side, looking out over the edge of the cot at the side of the tent, listening to Daryl's breathing turn into soft snoring. It was a comfortable kind of noise. It sounded like home, even though Glenn knew that they would never have a true home, not now. But perhaps they could create it for themselves, in a small way. One of Daryl's arms was draped over him, his hand laying close to Glenn's stomach. The younger man held onto his hand gently. Home could be here in this tent, with this man, despite of everything.


End file.
